A villain character introduced in the 1985 DIC Entertainment Wheeled Warriors cartoon series and Mattel toy line. Terror Tank, and his comrades, were created by a freak accident in which they, in their natural plant shapes, were bathed in black light radiation from a nearby sun. The ray bombardment rapidly mutated the flora, granting them sentience and the ability to consciously alter the structure of their cells, and thus their bodies, at will. Assuming the forms of various assault vehicles and christening themselves 'Monster Minds', the quintet (Sawboss, K.O. Kruiser, Gun Grinner, Terror Tank, and Beast Walker) set out to eradicate all non-plant life forms in the universe. Once this goal is obtained, they intend to rule over all lesser vegetation in the resulting 'green' utopia.
In tank form, this Monster Mind uses his snake-like, plant appendage (the jaws of which are strong enough to bite through steel plate) and his mortar-firing turrent cannon as his primary offensive weapons. Additional equipment and/or ordinance can also be mounted on his chassis as needed. The unique combination of two treads and a single, rear-mounted wheel allow Terror Tank to negotiate rough terrain that many of his fellow Monster Minds would find nearly impossible to cross, but this utility comes at a price, as it also makes him slower and less maneuverable than his cohorts. Thick armor plating also compromises his speed but makes him one very tough nut to crack. In humanoid form--which, being smaller and weaker, he generally only assumes in the safety of the Monster Minds' heavily-fortified lair--Terror Tank's snapping jaw becomes one of his arms.
Terror Tank commands legions of 'Terror Troopers': Lesser Monster Minds, grown from vines, that share the same vehicle shape but aren't nearly as powerful or intelligent and are incapable of changing into any other form. These serve as expendable grunts that can perform any number of tasks, provided they're simple enough to be easily understood. They also function as perfect decoys--Terror Tank's foes can never be sure which, if any, of the Troopers they're facing are really him.
NOTE: This project was specifically made for a contest at Figure Realm in which the goal was to update a 'classic' toy from the past. That's why the design of my figure deviates to some extent from the source material presented farther down this web page.
Materials:
Newsprint, tissue paper, white glue, super glue, wire twist ties, and acrylic paint.
Dimensions:
2.2 cm/0.9 in. x 2.3 cm/0.9 in. (widest point x highest point*)
* 4.0 cm/1.6 in. high with plant appendage attached.
Articulation:
The turrent rotates and the cannon can be raised or lowered.
Time:
Three days; May 24-26, 2010.
For comparison/informational purposes, below are several images of Terror Tank from various Wheeled Warriors media:
 
REFERENCES:
- Mattel Terror Tank toy instruction manual/comic.
- Google 'Terror Tank' image search.
- Wikipedia Wheeled Warriors article
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Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted here belongs to its respective holders/owners.
The background graphic patterns are computer-manipulated close-ups of my 'Sargasso: Queen of Kelp' figure's body texture.
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